Pages

Sunday, 23 January 2011

The value of a life

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, a day set aside to focus on the sanctity, dignity, and intrinsic value of all human life.

This is a most worthy and important topic, and yet there too often exists a tragic incongruence even among the most staunch pro-lifers: a failure to recognize the intrinsic value of human life both before and after birth.

How can you say you're pro-life while cheering on an illegal war? Those men, mothers, children, and babies don't deserve death any more than those in your own country do.

How can you say you're pro-life while failing to acknowledge children as persons worthy of respect? Where is their dignity if your desire right from birth is to dominate them and break their spirit, forcing them into a sad reflection of submission?

How can you say you're pro-life as your elderly parents sit neglected in a nursing home, with only the occasional phone call or holiday visit to look forward to? Life does not cease to be sacred as the body begins to wear out.

Don't say you're pro-life if all you really mean is anti-abortion. Today, let's truly recognize the intrinsic value of all human life - from conception until death.

"The sanctity of life doesn't end when a child is born. Life should be valued not only in the unborn child, but in babies, children, adults, and the elderly. This should give us pause to consider not only the travesty of abortion, but that of child abuse, inadequate health care, domestic abuse, elder abuse, and euthanasia. It should be reflected in the way we care for orphans and widows, for our children and our aging parents, for the homeless and victimized. It should affect our buying practices and the use of our money, time, and skills. It should be blind to borders, race, gender, age, religion, health, incomes, and lifestyle.

Our respect for the value of a life should show in the way we treat others, extending love and charity to all."Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (from the archives)

LOVE it! You make some excellent points! *Wish* I could post something like this on my blog....I tend to get eaten up by the religious right whenever I even touch something that challenges Republican thinking with my pinky toe. Anyways, maybe next year I'll have the courage. ;-)